Trigger switch



Aug. 6, 1929. F. c. DE REAMER 1,723,016

' TRJFGGER SWITCH Filed No v. 24, 1926 Fran k C. De Reamer,

His Attorney switches of the type commonly referred to as tratlon be described in that connection.

Patented Aug. 6, 1929'.

U E STA TES PATENT oFFrcE.

FRANK C. DE BEAMEB, 0F BRIDGELEOBT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNQR TO GENERAL ELEC- TRIQ COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRIGGER swrrcn,

Application filed November 24,1926. Serial No. 150,612.

The present invention relates to snap trigger switches which are intended for various purposes and particularly for hand operated devices of various kinds, such as vacuum cleaners, floor pblishers, drills, etc.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of such switches and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying. description and claims appended thereto.

As my improved switch is particularly adapted for use in vacuum cleaners of the portable type it will for the purpose of 1llus-.

. In the drawing, Fig.1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner actuator having a pistol Figs. 2- and 3' are perspective views of the switch, the former showing the .switch in the open position and the latter in the closed position; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of theswltch and parts associated therewith;

' and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views.

5 indicates a t bular member-by which a cleaner is moved over' the surface to be cleaned, and 6 a handle or pistol grip therefor. The handle comprises a metal portion 6, which extends longitudinally thereof and has cheek pieces 7 of suitable molded composition. The forward end of the handle or grip is cylindrical as indicated at 8, and of such ex ternal diameter'as to receive the tube 5. Be-

tween the member'5 and the end "of the handle is a thin split sleeve 9 made of fiber or other insulation which surrounds the switch parts and is held between the member 5 and cylin drical portion 8 by a screw- 10 and nut.11, which screw also unites said parts. The-switch comprises a relatively narrow die-formed metal frame 13 having a pair of ears 14 extending outwardly at right angles to the side members and through which extend screws 15 that clamp the frameto the end of the tubular part 8 of the handle, said handle having internal bosses 16 to receive the screws. To give additional support 'to the frame a connecting or cross memberl'? is provided, one edge of which rests squarely on the end of part 8. .The frame is made of a now be described.

stamping of thin metal having two side members, a flat portion at the outer end and supporting cars at the rear. The frame carries a block 18 of insulation at its outer end, and supported by said block on op 'osite sides are two contacts 19 and their wire inding screws. The block is held in place by a tubular rivet 18 The movable or bridging contact 20, commonly called a pole piece, forms an inverted U, as best shown in Fig. 2. This into turnis mounted on a lever 21, which is also in the form of an inverted U, thejegs of which straddle the side members of'the frame 13. y The two legs are supported by outwardly extending pivots 22 of which one isshown in Fig. 5. The pivots may be fastened in the shown in Fig. 5. At the oint where the legs of lever 21 straddle the rame they-are each oflset, as .at 26, and the upper parts are of such size as to cause their edges to strike on the shoulders 27. of which there'ar'e four on the upper side of the frame, each time the switch isactuated. Due to this arrangement the blows caused by the snap action of the actuat- 30 ing spring are absorbed by the frame and not by the insulating block 18 or the contacts 19. This is advantageous since it eliminates the danger of the block working loose or cracking due to repeated hammer blows.

The means for actuating the switch will 30 indicates a saddle which straddles the frame and also the legs of I lever 21 from the under side. In the upper long and end ofeach leg of the saddle is a round bottom notch 31, the walls of which engage the pivots 24 formed on the frame. The saddle is held in engagement with the pivots by a 'coiled tension spring 32. The upper 'end of the spring is held by a small piece of wire 33 having splayed ends which pass through the hollow rivet which unites the con tact 20 and the lever 23. The portion of the saddle connecting the legs is curved to conform to the curved under side of the frame in 400 i asthe region .of the pivots. The center of the saddle is slotted to receive the upper and shouldered end of the trigger 34. These parts may be united by riveting or not as desired. The lower end of the actuating spring 32 is anchored in an eye formed in a small projection at the upper end of the trigger. The

trigger has a flat portion 35 which extends through registering openings in the tubular member 5 and the insulating tube 9, and has an exposed portion below at right an les to the first, which is adapted to be moved finger of the operator. Moving the trigger causes the center line of the spring 32 to pass from one side of the pivots 25 to the other, and in so doing'move the contact or bridging'member 20. with a snap action. It is to be noted that the spring not only actuates the contact 20, but it also serves to hold the trigger and saddle in place. In other words, it performs two functions at one and the same time, and hence tends to simplicity of construction.

Since the spring operates by passing from one side tothe other of a dead center, it becomes necessary to limit the swinging move ments of the saddle and trigger. This is done by cutting away the under side of the frame in such manner as to form stops 36, of which there are four, two on each side of the pivots. n this manner the hammer blows due to the action of the various parts are all transmitted directly to the edges of the frame, those of the lever 21 to the upper side of the frame, and those of the saddle to the under side of the frame. By making the stops on the frame they can accurately be located by the dies used in making the frame.

To protect the current carrying cable 12 where it enters the tubular member, a spring 37 which surrounds the cable is employed. The inner end of the spring is provided with a head 38, which is slightly larger than the oblong hole 39 in the tubular member 5 through which it extends. In wiring the switch the handle and tube are separated sufficien-tlyto expose the switch and sufficient slack in the wire from the cable 12 is provided for the purpose.

To cover up the slot in the tubular member 5 through which the trigger 34 passes and to form a finish, a detachable plate 40 is provided which has an opening 41 for the spring,

' a slot 42 for the trigger and the necessary holes for the attaching screws. The plate is held by the screw 10 and a screw 43 which enters the front end of the metal frame 13. By reason of the saddle I am able to use a relatively long actuating spring and hence one which is sufficiently elastic to permit of the switch being easily actuated by the finger of the user. As a result of the open ended slots 31 in the legs of the saddle, the assembly of the switch parts is greatly facilitated, it being merely necessary to slip the saddle into ythe f place by an endwise movement of the legs.

What I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a switch, the combination of a relatively long .and narrow frame which is cut away on its upper side to form stops which limit the swinging movements of the contact carrying member and is also cut away on the under side to form shoulders which limit the swinging movement of the saddle, an in: sulating block mounted on one end of the rame, contacts carried thereby, a'bri-dging contact, a suporting lever for the contact which straddles the frame from the u per side, a saddle which straddles the frame om 'the under side and is pivoted thereon, a trigger associated with the saddle for moving it, and a tension spring which is-connected to the trigger at one end and to the contact supporting lever at the other end, said spring being put under tension when the trigger is moved to effect movement of the contact.

2. In a switch, the combination of a relatively long and narrow, frame which is cut away on its upper side to form stops which limit the swinging movements of the contact carrying under side to form shoulders which limit the swinging movement of the saddle, an insulating block mounted on one end of the frame, contactscarried thereby,abridging contact, a supporting lever for the dles the frame from the upper side, a saddle which straddles the frame from the under side and is pivoted thereon, a trigger which has ashoulder that engages the under surmember and is also cut away on the contact which stradframe from the upper side, is pivoted thereon and carries the bridging contact, a saddle which straddles the frame from the under side and has open ended slots in the upper ends of the legs of the saddle which engage the pivots on the frame, a trigger having a shoulder which engages the under surface of the saddle and has a projection which extends through the saddle, and a tension spring which is connected at its ends to the lever and to the projection, said spring being put under tension to effect actuation of the lever when the trigger is moved and also serving to hold the walls of the saddle slots in engagement with their pivots.

mason contacts carried thereby, a bridgingcontaet;

under side, the legs of thesaddle engaging the frame pivots, a trigger for the saddle, and a tension s ring, the lower end of which is 10 moved by t e saddle and trigger to actuate thebridgmg contact when the spring is placed under tension by movement of said trigger.

" In'fwitness whereof, Ihave'hereunto set my hand this22'nd day'of November, 1926.' FRANK C. DE REAMER. 

